Job-nervous folks in Syracuse may now be able to pull the trigger on an appliance buy

Paul Sakuma / APA computer for use by customers is seen at the Sears store in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008.

SYRACUSE, NY -- Wednesday's Store Front in The P-S talks about a new Sears store in Cicero. Here's another one about Sears. Read on:

From Chain Store Age:

Sears Offers Some Customers Payment Relief

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears will announce today that it is giving appliance purchasers a break on payments if they lose their jobs, according to a Monday report in the Chicago Tribune.

Shoppers who charge $399 or more to a Citibank-issued Sears credit card for appliances and related accessories between July 6 and Aug. 1 will get payment relief if they find themselves out of work 60 days to one year after making the purchase, said the report. One-twelfth of the purchase price will be credited to their accounts for every month they are unemployed. The full debt will be forgiven for customers who find themselves jobless for more than a year, and they will be able to keep the appliance.

"This was born out of listening to our customers," said Kevin Brown, chief marketing officer/home appliances. "Customers were saying, 'We're just in a spot where we're deferring major purchases due to our concern about our personal economy and the national economy.'"

Sears will test the program for 30 days and decide whether or not to extend it.

How noble and how... what? Creative?

Or is it something else?

You know generally what the interest rates are on retailer-stamped credit cards. Sears is making an interesting move at a time when many of us have pulled back, feel uneasy about big purchases but know it's time to step up and stop fixing that washer and replace it. We're vulnerable and easy marks.

Still, I'm looking for the catch. If you're unemployed for a year, you never make a payment on that appliance and it's yours -- free? Small consolation to those without a job, but one less headache -- maybe. I can see many hours on the phone trying to persuade the credit card company, which is ultimately handling payments, that yes, you are out of work or still are out of work.

Not trying to be a pessimist here. Just looking for the catch.

On to...

You:

* newtosu comments, "I see the risk to taxpayers from a CCM expansion failure as being more big picture and long term. If no agreement can be reached and there's a default on the bonds then someone -- either the bondholders or their insurers (remember credit swap defaults?) -- is on the hook for lost money and will go to court. Such losses for a major project in this area will serve as a disincentive for other investors and developers in the future. It's crucial -- regardless of where the fault lies -- the Destiny, Citigroup and all other parties get this worked out and being moving forward again."

Agreed. People aren't going to flock to Syracuse to see the Mistake on the Lake, nor will other developers or investors be interested in being associated with failure.

* Cindy comments -- "Bob -- I found this link at Yahoo when looking for something else -- interesting reading in light of what you have been talking about with Destiny et al."

Thanks. A good read -- and glad to know none of my haunts are on the list!

* nedrow42 comments, "A little more news on Chipotle -- I just contacted them this weekend asking if we could take any hope at a Syracuse location to open soon (as they have a Rochester location listed as 'opening soon') -- their word was, again, 'we do not have any plans for Syracuse yet.' However, they did go on to say 'We are still expanding and we'll give this location some thought.' For whatever that might be worth..."

Give it some time. They'll be here. You know how these things work.

* ivnws4u comments, "Bob -- Everyone in CNY seems to be big on getting a Chipotle. While there are a couple of them here, the locals I've talked to say they prefer some of the more homegrown variety. Maybe it's because when under MickyD's they also screwed things up here and closed the Boston Market and put in a Chipotle. Now, there's one local Mexican restaurant, Pancho Villa, based in Culpeper, Va., that most seem to go to. In Richmond there's Mexico Restaurant. In fact, they just opened one up here in Fred Vegas. I guess what I'm trying to say is generally the homegrown restaurants beat out any of the national chains.

"It's like in some areas of Syracuse you find that an Italian restaurant would beat out any national chain. Especially when it comes to pizza. You cant beat the local homegrown stuff. You know the haunts Danzers, Heids, Twin Trees, (there used to be Tino's on N Salina but that's long gone), Colemans, Weber's, Grimaldi's. I'm sorry, but when in Syracuse the Olive Garden just doesn't excite me."

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